William h



UNITED .STATES ATENT FFlC-E.

WILLIAM H. H, sIsUM, OF BROOKLYN, New YORK.

ENDLESSi-,ROPE RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,446, dated March 18, 11884.

Application filed October 25, 1883. (No model.)

.To LZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. H. SIsUM, of Brooklyn, in Kings county, and the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Endless-Rope Railways, of which the-following is a specification.

The object of my improvementis to provide a simple and effective mechanism whereby the rope may be gripped from a car and the car gradually started.

I will describe in detail a railway embody ing my improvement, and then point out the improvement in claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of an endless-rope railway and a cartruck fitted withmechanism embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation Vof the same, taken on the plane of the dotted line as x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a front view of the mechanism with which the car is tted. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the latter. Fig. 5 is a side view of grip mechanism of modified form. Fig. 6 is a front view thereof. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section of one ofthe grip-pulleys; and Fig. 8 is atransverse section ofthe other grip-pulley. Y

y Similar `letters of reference designatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates rails, which may be of any construction suitablel for supporting a car, and laid in the usual or any other approved manner.

B designates an endless rope or cable, which travels between the rails, guide-pulleys being employed to guide it, and any suitable means to drive it.

C designates the frame of a car-truck, Of the wheels thereof, and C2 the axles of the wheels. The wheels are rigidly affixed to theiraxles, as is usual in railway-cars. The axles may be journaled iu the truck-frame in any suitable manner.

On one of the axles C2 are rigidly fastened two clutcl1-pieces, D D', having reversely-arranged ratchet-teeth. Between these clutchpieces D D a clutch-piece, D2, is supported by the same axle in such manner that it may be shifted longitudinally into contact with either oftheclutch-piecesDD. Atitsendstheclutchpiece D2 is provided with ratchet-teeth arranged reverselyto the ratchetteeth of the adjacent clutch-pieces D D', so that when rotated in either direction it may be engaged with one or the other of the clutch-pieces D D', to rotate them, and consequently the axle to which they are affixed, either one way or the other, as may be desirable.

A lever, D3, is `fulcrumed to a hanger, D4, extending from a platform, E, in the car of which the truck described forms part. The lower end of this lever is forked or bifurcated,

pins that'enter a circumferential groove in this clutch-piece. The upper end of this lever extends through a slot in the platform E. By oscillating the lever the clutch-piece D2 may be shifted longitudinally, and., owing to the manner in which the lever is connected to this clutch-piece D2, the lever will not interfere with the rotation of the clutch-piece. The clutchpiece D2 has combined with it a gear-wheel, `F. This gear-wheel and the said clutch-piece are connected, so as to turn -iu unison. As here shown, the gear-wheel has a long hub, a, extending from each side of it. The clutchpiece D2 is made in two'sections, mounted on the hubsone on each side of the gear-wheeland bolts b extend through the two sections of the clutch-piece and the gear-wheel. In effect Itherefore make al double clutch-piece, D2,

forming one structure, and although itis supported directly upon the hubs of the gearwheel, yet it is indirectly supported on the axle upon which the gear-wheel is arranged. These parts may be combined in other ways to attain the same result. f

G designates a grip-pulley, which isI rigidly afiixed to a shaft, G, journaled in a frame, G2. The side pieces of the frame G2 are mounted on the axles()2 in such manner that they will not interfere withA the rotation of the latter.

yH designates another grip-pulley, arranged inline with the grip-pulley G, and having its shaft journaled at one `end in a lever, H', that is hung on the shaft G', as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, and on a stud, I, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. I prefer to make each of the pulleys G H of two lateral sections, c e', (see Figs. 7 and 8,) secured together by bolts or screws d,

and having at the circumference materials which will generate much friction. As shown, l so shape the sections c c at their circumference that a deep rectangular groove will be formed there. In .this groove l iita band, e, of india-rubber, made rectangular in the cross- IOO 6o so as to embrace the clutch-piece D2, and has I section, and into this band I fit a number of rings or bands, f, of leather, rawhide, or other material. The facings formed of these materials will grip the endless rope or cable withont liability of injuring it. At the periphery the facings are hollowed out t0 conform to the endless rope orcable. rIhe india-rubber band e is held in place by lips g, extending from the lateral sections c c of the pulleys. rIlhe upper end of the lever H has fastened to it a cord or chain, J, which is secured to and wrapped around a rod or windlass, K. By turning this wndlass, and thereby drawing upon the cord or chainJ, the lever H will be canted or tilted, so that the pulley H will be drawn up into a position in which it will bear tightly upon the endless rope or ncable and cause the latter to bear forcibly against the pulley Gr. The lever may be canted in the reverse direction by means of a cord or chain, J, and another windlass arranged at the other end of the car. The shaft G has rigidly affixed to it a gearwheel, L. that engages with the gear-wheel F.

To cause the car to derive motion from the endless rope or cable, the clutch-piece Dl is shifted into engagement with the clutch-piece D, and the lever H is canted to cause the grip- 4 pulleys and the endless rope or cable to forcibl y impin ge. The grip-pulleys are thus caused to rotate, and thereupon the gear-wheel L.V

transmits motion through the gear-wheel Fto the axle, onto which the gear-wheel F is affixed. The grip-pulleys continue t'o act in this way until the gear-wheel F has acquired its maximum speed. When this gear-wheel has attained such speed, it rotates with sufficient rapidity to cause the clutch-piece D2 to move faster than the clutch-piece D, whereupon the clutch-piece D'Z will be thrown out of engagement with the clutch-piece D. The motion of the car willhave been gradually augmented until by this time its momentum will be such. that its drag on the rope or cable will be insufficient to cause the rotation of the grippulleys. The grip-pulleys will then form a secure grip, whereby the car will be propelled. If desirable, the lever may be canted farther after the car gets under way, so as to grip the endless rope or cable more tightly. When the lever H is hung upon the stud I eccentrically to the pulley G, the pulley H may be made to grip the rope or cable very tightly between it and the pulley G. Vhen the car is to be stopped, the cord or chain J is slackened and brakes of the usual or any suitable kind are applied to the wheels of the car. When the car is to be propelled in the reverse direction upon another portion of the endless rope or cable, the clutch-piece is shifted into engagement with the clutch-piece D and the cord or chain J is tightened, so as to cant the lever H in the reverse direction. The endless rope or cable is to be lifted over and off the pulley H to engage it with such pulley and disengage it therefrom.

It is advantageous that the frame Gr2 should be supported upon the car-axles instead of on the body of the car, as it will not then be affected by the varying position or the jolting of the body of the car.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a car, of grippulleys adapted to ilnpinge upon a rope or cable, and wheels serving to derive motion from one of the pulleys and transmit it to one of the axles of the car, so as to start the car gradually, substantially as specified. y

2. The combination, with a car, of a grippulley supported on a shaft provided with a wheel engaging with another wheel mounted on one of the axles, another grip-pulley supported on a lever adapted to be adjusted into a position which willenable it, in conjunction with the grip-pulley first named, to grip arope or cable, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a car, of a grippulley supported on a shaft provided with a wheel engaging with another wheel mounted on one of the axles, another grip-pulley supported on a lever, and means whereby the lever may be swung in either direction to cause the grip-pulley which it supports, in conjunction with the grip-pulley first named, to grip a rope or cable, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a car, of grippulleys, mea-ns whereby the grip-pulleys may be made to grip a rope or cable, a wheel on the same shaft as one of the grip-pulleys, a wheel on one'of the axles of the car, through which motion is transmitted to this axle, clutch-pieces rigidly affixed to this axle, and another clutch-piece locked to the wheel, through which motion is transmitted to this axle and adapted to beshifted into engagement with either of the clutch-pieces that are affixed to this axle, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of an axle, C2, clutchpieces D D D2, gear-wheel F, shaft G', gearwheel L, grip-pulley G, lever H, and grippulley H, lsubstantially as specified.

WVM. H. H. SISUM.

Witnesses:-

T. J. KEANE, JAMES R. BOWEN.

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